Work-holder for sewing-machines



W. L. BARRON.

WORK HOLDER FOR SEWING MACHINES. "-APPITICATION FILED JULY 13. 1916.

Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

mlrllanmllzimlzallm WITNESSES V TOR ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. BARRON, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, nssrenoza 'ro 'rnn smena kmtr- FACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

WORK-HOLDER FOR SEWING-MAGHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 13, 1918. Serial No. 244,695.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. BARRON, a citizen of'theUnited States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVork-Holders for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to work-holders for button sewing machines and has for an object to improve the work-holder disclosed in my application Serial No. 161,404, filed April 12, 1917 so that it will. successfully handle, not only buttons of the smaller and medium sizes, but also buttons of the largest sizes such as are used on heavy over'coats and the like.

In attempting to make use of my prior work-holder in sewing on very large buttons, it is found that there is a tendency for the button to be lifted out of engagement with the clamping jaws, due to the reaction ary upward pressure of the body-fabric upon the central portion of the curved lower face of the button. With certain other well known forms of work-holdersincluding coacting button-gripping jaws which are spring-pressed toward the fabric, it is neces sary to elevate said jaws to relieve them of the reactionary upward pressure of the fabric before they will readily yield to the insertion of a button. To overcome the ill effects of this reactionary upward pressure of the fabric upon the button, I now interpose presser means between the button-gripping elements and the work-supporting plate; said presser means being designed to hold the body-fabric against the work-support and relieve the button and button-gripping elements of the objectionable reactionary upward pressure referred to.

The presser means may comprise a footplate having a substantially rigid upwardly extending shank fixedly secured to the forward end of the usual supporting bar for the button-gripping levers. The foot-plate is preferably circular in form and is provided with a centrally disposed aperture to receive the stitches; said aperture opening to the forward edge of the foot-plate to permit removal of the stitched work. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the work-holder ema work-holder of the well knowntyp digs closed In the United States patent to J.

Sullivan, No. 7 7 7,564 and comprising a slidebar 1 carrylng a worksupporting plate 2 at its forward end. Mounted upon the slidebar 1 near its rearward end is a block 3 in which is loosely mounted the forwardly rojecting button-clamp supporting bar 4 w ich is pressed toward the slide-bar 1 by means 9 of the usual leaf -spring 5. Pivotally mounted at 6', 6 upon the supporting bar 4 are the clamping levers 6, 6 formed at their in-turned extremities with opposed clamping jawseach of which comprises a button-edge engaging shoulder 7 and a button-face sup orting ledge 8. Projecting downwardly rom the levers 6, 6 are pins 9, 9 which enter the. rearwardly converging slots 10, 10 formed in the slide-plate 11 secured to the usual slide-bar 12 sustained beneath the supporting arm 4 and carrying the stud-screw 13 which projects upwardly through a slot and is connected by the spring 15' to the clamp-lifting post 16. I

Superimposed upon the levers 6, 6 are v flat springs 17, 17 each of which follows the contour of its respective lever and at its which is normally spaced above the button- 7 face supportlng ledge 8 of its respective lever a distance less than the height or thick 10o ness of theadjacent button-edgegripping shoulder 7.

The front ends 21, 21 of the horizontalor t resser-""- fingers 20, 20 are extended forwardly audios upwardly to facilitate insertion ofblunt button-engaging portions of the .edged buttons into the spaces between the fingers 20, 20 and ledges 8, 8. The ledges Patented Jan. 25 1921.

-;i-'n' said supporting bar 8, 8 are extended forwardly in advance of the front ends 21, 21 of the presser-tingers in order that the edge of a button may be rested upon the ledges 8. 8 before pushed under the presserdingers 20, 20.

he supporting bar at carries an adjust able stop 22 to limit the approach of the levers 6, 6

slotted segmental portion 25 through which passes a clamping-screw 26. When the stoplever 22 is set to space the button-edge clamping shoulders 7, 7 a given distance apart, buttons whose diameters are but slightly greater than said given distance may be readily forced between said shoulders and into engagement with the usual button centering stop 27 carried by the slide-bar 12;

WVhen a button of very large diameter is inserted between the button-gripping shoulders 7, 7, it is found that the central portion of the under face of the button projects somewhat below the plane of the under faces of the buttonrsustaining ledges so that when the clamped button is lowered upon. the fab ric the rdactionary upward pressure of the latter tends to lift the button out of gripping relationwith the button-gripping elements. I

I overcome this difliculty by interposing presser means between the fabric and the button-gripping elements to relieve the latter and the button of the said reactionary pressure. While the presser means may take various forms I prefer to provide a substantially rigid ,presser-foot which may conveniently be bent up out of sheet-metal. The foot preferably comprises a horizontally arranged foot-plate 28 of circular form, supported by a vertical shank 29 slot ed at 30 for passage of the button stop 27 and se cured at its upper extremity to the firward end of the bar 4 by the screws 31. The footplate 28 is formed with a central ape true 32 which is opened in front at 33 to permit removal of the stitched work. In the present instance it is not necessary that the button be inserted between the buttoirclamping jaws before the upper member of the workclamp is lowered upon the fabric. If desired, the fabric may first be inserted -between the work-supporting plate 2 and presser-plate 28 and adjusted so that the position on the fabric where the to be attached, is located centrally of the aperture 32 in the presser-plate; the view of said aperture not being obstructed by a superposed button. After the fabric is accurately located and clamped in position, the butt0n-clamping jaws, being free from the upward pressure of the fabric, will readily yield laterally to the insertion of the button is button, and will permit the button to be readily turned to position the holes in register with the needle-path.

in the particular embodiment of the in vention shown and described, the workholder is adapted to be shifted laterally of the reciprocating needle 34; which passes through the usual needle-hole in the throat-plate 36 for cooperation with a suitable loop-taker. It is to be understood, however, that insofar as the present invention is concerned,

stitchforming mechanism and worleholder are obtained, Furthermore, it will be apparent from the foregoing to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts with out departure from or sacrifice of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is 1. Work-holding mechanism for article attaching machines comprising, a fabricsupport, a presser for holding the fabric against said support, and article holding jaws sustained in operative position at a level above said presser and out of pressure exerting cooperative relation with said fabric-support.

2. lVork-holding mechanism for buttonsewing machines comprising, a fabric-support, button-gripping means, means at a level. between said fabric-support and but ton-gripping means for pressing the body fabric against said fabric-support independently of said button-gripping means.

3. Work-holding mechanism for sewing machines comprising, a fabric-support, acting article-gripping devicesa earner therefor spring-pressed toward said fabric support, and a rigid presser sustained by said carrier and interposed between said fabric-support and article-gripping devices, whereby to relieve said devices and an article gripped thereby of the reactionary upward pressure of the fabric.

4. lVork-holding mechanism for sewing machines comprising, a fabric-support, coacting article-gripping devices, a carrier therefor spring-pressed toward said fabricsupport, and a presser interposed between said fabric-support and said devices" and acting independently"of said devices to transmit the spring-pressure on said carrier to the fabric, whereby to relieve said devices and an article gripped thereby of the reactionary upward pressure of the fabric.

5. A work-holder for sewing machines comprising, a fabric-supporting plate having a flat fabric supporting surface, coacting button gripping levers terminating in jaws adapted to grip the edge of flat button, a carrier therefor upon which sai it is immaterial how the roletive stltch- OSIlHOHHI movements of the wee eee are pressing" said carrier toward said fabric-supporting plate, and a presser gained to said carrier in advance of the pivots for said levers and acting independently of said levers to transmit the spring-pressure upon said carrier to the fabric.

button gripping levers terminating in aws adapted to grip the edge of a flat button, a carrier for said levers upon which they are pivotally mounted, a spring for pressing said carrier toward said fabric-supporting plate, and a presser joined to said carrier in advance of the pivots for said levers and acting independently or" said levers to transmit the spring-pressure upon said carrier to the fabric, said presser comprising a substantially fiat foetplate and a vertically extending shank substantially rigid with said foot-plate. I

7. A Work-holder for fiat button sewing machines comprising, a fabric-support having a needle aperture and a up face embracing said needle ap presser for holding the fabric fiat up fabri snmwrt, and fiat button hoiding flaws susta ope e posi n above presser and out of pi: ssnre era -ve relation with the fabric c il ork-holding mechanism for b",l" sewing machines comprising, a fabric support, a presser for holding the fabric against said support, and coacting jaws for hoiding a button in sewing position out of contact relation With the fabric upon said fabric support.

5)., v o'rk-lwlding mechanism for sewing machines comprising, a fabric seep; presser for holding the fabric support, and article holding jaws ens in operative position above said sup out of pressure exerting cooperative rehetion with the fabric.

In testimony whereof 1 have signed my name to this specification.

WVILLIAM L. BIRBEGNI 

